Tonsils Removed

Julie says:
October 10, 2011 at 4:28 pm

Today is my day 5 and still not getting better. When does it start getting better?! Im nauseous all the time because I have no food in my stomach but i have to take my pain meds because the pain is incredible! I started out weighing apprx 108lbs and weighed myself today and I weigh 101lbs. I hope I dont lose much more. This is depressing 🙁
Michael says:
October 10, 2011 at 3:45 pm

I had multiple things done besides my tonsils. I had my deviated septum corrected, polyps removed in my sinuses and my soft pallet reconstructed. I had no pain from my septum the biggest issue with that was that I could not blow my nose and I had all this drainage that was disgusting to deal with. Mostly because I could not breathe through my nose and sleeping was hard because breathing through my mouth would dry out my throat. On day 6 I saw my doctor and he said my throat was looking perfect and he “roto rootered” my sinuses and vacuumed out all the gunk. I could breathe again and once that happened I could sleep all night not waking up every two hours to drink water or take pain meds. I do have a really, really high threshold for pain and thought the worst pain was maybe a 7 which to me I can deal with. Only once did I wake up with about 9 pain and that was like day 9 or 10 and I just went and took pain meds and waited about 10 minutes for them to kick in. I saw my doctor again on day 14 and he cleaned out my sinuses again at that point he told me I could try and eat what I wanted there was no possibility I could damage anything. I have to see him again next week for the last checkup.

As far as weight goes it was a good thing I lost 15lbs I am still far from where I need to be. The only thing I have splurged on is a cheeseburger this last weekend. Today I am starting back to the gym doing light cardio hoping now that I can breath again working out is less of a chore.
sandra says:
October 10, 2011 at 11:50 am

Hi Michael 🙂
I have lost 12 lbs….not good and I’m sure my MD is going to freak out today. I have tried multiple times to eat a scrambled egg or mac and cheese and it just gets stuck and I have a coughing fit. Before I had this surgery I was 125lbs strong…very healthy…now, I am 5’7″ and 113lbs. My face looks so ugly. I have very dark circles and pale dry skin. I refuse all visitors, except mom. I feel like my mom is the only person who understands what I am going though. This has been very hard emotionally for me. Guess I am not as tough as I thought I was 🙁 I know what you are saying about that spot on the back of the tongue. I had a stich there and now a scab. I am living off of instant breakfast drinks and liquified tortilla soup (spicy) and hell yes it burns but I miss my spicy food.
Have you put any weight back on? I am glad you are eating…that must bring you some joy. Have you resumed a normal lifestyle? Did your MD want to see you again or give you any restrictions? I have to go back to work as of Saturday….I hope I am ready. I ended up taking three weeks off. Thanks for the note and congrats on getting through the recovery. PLEASE have a big slice of pizza for me.
Michael says:
October 10, 2011 at 10:59 am

Sandra, how much weight have you lost? I dropped 15lbs in two weeks. I am almost 100% but still cannot eat spicy food. I think my throat will be raw for a while. Right now I got a scab or stitch and when my tongue hits it right every now and then it is a little painful. I am 25 days post op.
sandra says:
October 9, 2011 at 9:13 pm

Hi Natalie ,,
Im almost on day 14 for the left side and day 8 for the right. No pain meds
Today. Left earache. Didnt sleep well last night. Emotionally this has been a
Drag. I miss playing with my boys and the ability to eat. Still have a very dry mouth. Hope you are doing well.
Natalie says:
October 9, 2011 at 8:46 pm

It really is such an unpleasant surgery. For me Julie days 3 and 6 were easily the worst. Day 6 wouldn’t have been so bad but a huge scab was coming off so I could feel it rip every time I swallowed. And to answer your earlier question, put the ice pack under your jaw, when that gets too cold move it right on top of the sore site (Where the tonsil used to be). I went the first 5 days without an icepack, wish i had used it sooner to be honest.
Also heat considerably helps ear pain.

What day are you up to now Sandra? It sounds like you’ve overcome the absolute worse of everything possible! I’m sure you will begin to feel an improvement now, especially considering you feel more positive!

Potitsa, it sounds like you’ve gone through a terrible ordeal! I’ve never heard of feet swelling from a tonsillectomy before! I do wish the doctor prepared me for this operation more too, or at least recommended me to some of these forums! For the ear pain try a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel, or one of those microwavable heat packs (The ones that smell like wheat). The heat definitely reduces ear pain!

I’m on day 8 today and I felt terrible when I woke up! The pain was like a bruised/burning pain. I also feel like I have hayfever(which I don’t). However it’s now lunchtime and I feel considerably better. It feels like day 7 which I can cope with. Hoping day 10 will be the major turnaround day. I swear this feels like the longest recovery!
sandra says:
October 9, 2011 at 4:08 pm

Hang in there JULIE. My ent made me “earn ” . He said he wouldnt remove them for stones. Ihad 10 cases of strep.
Julie says:
October 9, 2011 at 2:30 pm

its my 4th day and every morning its worse. im beginning to wish i didnt do this. ive never had strep or tonsillitis, only cryptic tonsils… i shouldve just dealt w/ picking the stones out instead of this surgery. hate this!
sandra says:
October 9, 2011 at 12:54 pm

Had enough energy to make mac n cheese…BUT, couldnt get it down. It stuck in my throat. I have not had anything thicker than creme soup. I have not neededd any pain med today. Dry throat, feel scabs on side
Potitsa says:
October 9, 2011 at 11:34 am

I got my surgery 9/27/11..I remember seeing my dr for the consultation and he kept saying surgery is hell..He also kept repeating himself, and then asked me in the end if I was sure I wanted to do this..Of course, having 3 strepth throats only in 2 months and losing my voice only that summer, and not being able to breath at night and Im sure my throat would close up on me, was me knowing YES this is what i want..Surgery day up until the 3rd day, was like, WHAT what surgery..pshhhh smooth sailing…and then 4th morning..and I was miserable…By day 6-7 I was wishing I had never done this…and by day 8..I thought someone had tried to bite off theback of my tongue and tried to scrape the white spots off with a nail filer…Also my feet were swelling, and I began to have a migraine and vomit, I was afraid i was going to rip my stitches..they had become so big me and my bf had named them shrek feet… I could no longer see my ankle, and he even said, “where did your bones go.” The DR had perscribed I think about 3x narco, I got 400 the big bottle of Lortab Liquid Eliquxir.. When my feet start to swell..I thought i was having an allergic reaction to the narcotics..On the 8th night at 2 am, my feet had swollen up so bad that i think my ass was swelling and face..my bf, said enough is enough, i called the nurse practitioner earlier that day, and she had said its not the lortitab, its due to inactivity…because I had been perscribed so many times the narcotic, each time the my insurance company would put a hold on it..bc of there regulations..I felt like they were all saying i was a druggie…my aunt who is going thru chemo for breast cancer, gave me 2 percocets..and i had taken them 4 hrs between eachother..The worst part has been that for some reason the tylenol, or the lortab itself only last every 2 hrs..but you cant take that much medicine because you will kill your liver or overdose…I have been miserable…The nurse said the swelling was due to inactivity WICH WAS BS..Because i was cleaning to keep my mind off the pain, scrubbing..its how i deal with issues..instead of eating or not being able to work out, i get the bleach out..and scrub my thoughts out…We went to the ER, they gave me ear drops, they also gave novacaine to numb my throat,they gave me the highest narcotic, to numb out the ear pain..and NUTHING worked..my bestfriend who was with us..Is a shock trauma nurse..and was amazed that my tolerance to medicine either had become so strong or the pain was that extreme..I wanted to have someone stick a tranquilizer gun in me, and let me come to when the pain is gone..They gave me a sauna gram no blood clot, the ER dr concluded, some people due to surgery have feet swelling..On our ride home, talking in the car with my bf, one of the scabs started to fall of and then I swallowed the right scab and the pain left..and i realized why the pain had hightened..and the swelling of my feet went down.. Then the same thing happened with the left scab, and then it had created another scab on the left and same thing, now my feet are back to normal… it feels good to put my shoes on and not look down and see my feet looking like im 400 lbs and i could not even tie my shoes..I finally texted my dr to send in another perscription, and rights back ” your having a tough time with this tonsilectomy but the worst of the worst is almost over” I just want to clarify, my dr is very sweet and knows what hes doing and im very appreciative that I have laid in good hands..BUT i thought does everyone have a less painful process, i mean the dr’s in the ER made me feel like a drug addict, granted they r just doing there jobs..but everytime ive been perscribed the narco, my insurance put a hold on it…i mean i can handle pain, i had my gall bladder removed and when i awoke from a gall bladder attack it felt like someone was stabbing me, i have had a bowel obstruction, i have cut my thumb with a sharp knife 32 stitches, i have broken my ankle in 3 places and surgery, i have had open stomach gatric bypass..I have had surgeries and pain and i could deal with discomfort..this isnt discomfort..it is VERY excutiating pain..Thank god the popsicles head and chicken broth , it may sound disgusting cold cottage cheese with splenda n rice pudding, u get protien in and its cold and its texture is consistent..i drink vitamin water as well, i keep a glass of cold water by my bed..during the middle of my recover form the 5- to now the 10. The 9th morning til now, is the most sleep of gotten…for 4 days str8 i didnt sleep i had a total of 5 hrs..one night i didnt sleep at all.. Now my pain has gone down im at 75 percent but now im getting a cold..lol… So I CANT WAIT FOR THIS TO BE OVER… i think the worst part for me is the Ear pain… Im still dealin with alot of pain..im sure from hear on out i will be fine in dealing with it…BUT they should really come up with a better recovery plan for people…ALSO, they should be more sympathetic when a patien asks for narcotics and not treat them like a drug addict..when your in pain, and wanna cry like a child.. 🙂

Potitsa
Julie says:
October 8, 2011 at 7:23 pm

Is it true day 4-6 ish are the worst days for pain? I look at pictures of people throats after their tonsillectomy and mine looks much more severe with the WHOLE back and sides of my throat are white/grey along with my uvula! Now I am getting a headache. Where did you put the ice pack? On your throat?
sandra says:
October 8, 2011 at 7:21 pm

Hi Natalie, sounds like u are turning the corner!!! Today has been pretty good. Ive only used tylenol but will use norco before bed. Ill feel better once I get to Monday. Im afraid that I am going to have another problem. I just keep prayiñg. My neck is sore today but nothing to complain about. Im glad you are feeling better. One more week and its over!!!
Natalie says:
October 8, 2011 at 6:45 pm

Thanks Sandra! I agree with that for sure. Day 6 was terrible for me. Day 7 however (today) I feel really good. Still very sore but its more like a really bad sore throat than that razor blade feeling. I’m really hoping this is the turning point for me. How are you feeling now Sandra?

Julie, day 3 was terrible! Mornings are the worst too. I found waking up a few times in the night just for a sip of water really helped! Also for the first time last night I used an icepack! So much relief! It’s such a long process but there is a light at the end of this painful tunnel! Best of luck 🙂
Julie says:
October 8, 2011 at 11:28 am

wow.day 3 and the mornings are the worst!!! makes me wanna cry!!!!
sandra says:
October 8, 2011 at 9:40 am

Id say days 4 & 5 due to ear pain day 6 to scabs coming loose and trouble with cold liquid.
Natalie says:
October 8, 2011 at 7:21 am

Thats how i feel Sandra.
What day would you say was the worst for you? x
sandra says:
October 8, 2011 at 6:45 am

Natalie, Im sorry about your pain. Brightide maybe with some food in your belly, u can take the pain med. I have felt clumps in my throat and then horrible pain to cold liquid
Natalie says:
October 8, 2011 at 6:37 am

Also to any readers who get that razorblade feelings when the scabs come off and can’t drink cold water like me
Switch to warm. Yes it’s still very painful but much less than ice cold.
Good luck everyone
Natalie says:
October 8, 2011 at 6:35 am

Hey Sandra
I thought i was pretty strong too, but tonight the pains excruciation, i can’t even begin to say how bad it is
I took a full dose of my strongest pain medication and thank God it didn’t make me nauseas.
I’m still in extreme pain, about a 9/10 but before my pain exceeded 10/10.

That gives me relief that it’s the scabs coming off, however i havn’t spat them out or even felt them come off in my mouth for that matter
Did you feel yours when they came off or was it just pain?
Thanks in advance
Liane says:
October 8, 2011 at 3:43 am

Hi Everyone, I’m now on day 5 and so far it has been pretty tolerable. First day I had only soft food and lots of coke and water but from day 2 I ate normally. Doctor prescribed Voltaren 100mg suppositories whic works like a charm for 8 hours, the 4 hours before the next dose however is excrutiating to say the least. The doc also prescribed Tramacet. This manages to take my pain level from a 10/10 to a 9/10 (whoop big difference) where the voltaren takes it from a 10/10 to about 3/10.

Anyways going to my GP now to see if he can’t inject me with anything to get me back on track, thought I was going to die from pain this morning.
sandra says:
October 8, 2011 at 3:43 am

IHi Natalie, I had a scab come off and stick in my throat for a while. It felt like razor blades till it went down. Can u switch to a different pain med? I cut my dose in half and take it twice. I cant do all at once. Or what about liquid tylenol? I do that but it does nothing for ear pain. Youre pretty strong to do this with no meds! Best wishes
Natalie says:
October 8, 2011 at 1:05 am

Hi guys
Sandra I’m so sorry to here about your terrible experience, you’re much stronger than I would have been!
I’m currently on day 6
The pain is rather terrible today, it was much worse last night.
At about 3am i woke up with pain, it was as if someone was stabbing my throat with a needle or pin
and i woke up this morning with blood in my mouth. Not a lot but it still scared me! I rinsed my mouth with ice water and sucked a piece of ice and it stopped.
I think last nights pain was the worse but day 2 was the worse for me. The pain was tolerable but the medications were so strong on my empty tummy that i vomited. Not fun!

Anyway, I’m doing this without pain medication and although it is rather unbearable at times i keep thinking to myself its only 2 weeks of my life and then its over.

Does anyone know if that needle like pain is from the scabs coming off? I can’t look in my mouth cause my tongues so swollen!
Best of luck everyone!
sandra says:
October 7, 2011 at 9:26 pm

Cross your wrists in a t shape.
sandra says:
October 7, 2011 at 9:25 pm

Holistic nausea trick…slow deep breath, smell peppermint oil, sip fluids flat cola
Or gingerale. Face hands toward one another while laying on your left side. Rest one wrist on the other and put a pillow in front of your bellly….just breathe.
Julie says:
October 7, 2011 at 8:12 pm

my day two started out rough, but has gotten better throughout the day. I had soup from panera today and some mashed potatoes this evening because i started feeling nauseous from the percocet. my neck is sore, im hoping that is just from the way i have had to sleep. good luck everyone else suffering right now!
Holly says:
October 7, 2011 at 7:30 pm

So this is day two for me. Started off kind of rough. I was up every four hours last night to take my meds. I knew immediately when they were wearing off. But I slept good in between doses. However… Today I am experiencing a rash all over my body. Doc said it is probably from the anesthetics used during surgery and to try benydryl. That has helped. I was able to eat some ramen noodles today and I have had about 3 bowls of ice cream. The main thing is keeping my throat as moist as I can. I think I am starting to scab up b/c I feel a really rough patch on the back of my throat when I swallow. But for day two I think that is pretty good. The pain in the ears has been managed with the ear drops. And the doc gave me some awesome nausea meds today that have helped. I was so nauseated last night. Anyways… I hope it just keeps getting better from here I am already sick of this! LOL! Who isn’t right?
Julie says:
October 7, 2011 at 12:48 pm

Sorry Sandra that youre having a hard time. I think Im doing ok so far @day 2, its just the finding a position to sleep in. My throat hurts worse than yesterday and I feel like I have to constantly cough up plem, which I know NOT to do. I like drinking water and eating ice chips, I think it helps!
Ryan says:
October 7, 2011 at 11:37 am

ok i’m on day 8 post op….the pain is just horrible in the morning. For the last few days I know I was close to dehydration but it’s so hard to swallow with these things UGH! But today after waking up I’m drinking gatorade and feeling better. The only pain I have now is when i Swallow. Nothing throbs or achs, but then again my Doctor is awesome and gave me the strongest Percocet made. I’m so ready to eat something real though….Ribs, Pizza, I want Subway soooo bad.
sandra says:
October 7, 2011 at 10:09 am

Michael, funny you mention that. I have one of Chicago’s finest ent ‘s and he is also head of the hpspital ‘s medical board. Thank you for the prayers. I dont lknow why things went the way they did. I told my husband I cant tale 3 or 4 more days of this. Im still up half the night to take my meds. I should be on day 12 not day 6 of healing. Again, thank you for the note and prayers.
Michael says:
October 7, 2011 at 8:28 am

Sandra, You poor girl. I have been praying for you. I am sorry for your bad experience and hope it all goes swimmingly from here on out.

I seriously think the only reason my discomfort was minor to mild and I healed real quick was because my surgeon is incredibly gifted. I researched and researched and visited 5 ENT’s before I picked my doctor. I inquired about him and talked to former patients. He and his staff have been incredible.
sandra says:
October 7, 2011 at 6:35 am

Julie, mine lasted @3 days. Sleep on your side im a recclined position. I use 4 pillows…
Julie says:
October 7, 2011 at 4:34 am

Did everyone else have a swollen uvula afterwards, and if so, how long did it last? It makes it very difficult to lay down and sleep bc I can barely breath that way….
sandra says:
October 6, 2011 at 3:24 pm

Hi HOLLY, thanks for the note. Things were fine until i had my second surgery. It wouldnt be a humane thing to post my experience. Lets just say I will need therapy after i heal. I think my depression stems from a healing time set back. Its not fun to do the recovery twice. I hope you have a strong recovery. You have been through enough.
Holly says:
October 6, 2011 at 3:09 pm

Julie I know the feeling I had mine about 8 hours ago… I just keep trying to think positive as much as I can. I had pharangytis a few weeks ago and I feel about like I did then. I hope it doesn’t get any worse. I don’t have a high pain tolerance at all. But I have been through some tough surgeries… I will just be glad when it is over… this chronic tonsilitis over the last six months was not fun!
Julie says:
October 6, 2011 at 1:13 pm

Just had my surgery approx 4 hours ago and this is horrible! my pain is excruciating! I hope this doesnt last long!!! 🙁
Holly says:
October 6, 2011 at 12:38 pm

Sandra,
It sounds like you have had such a terrible time. I know you said you were depressed. Sounds like a side effect from the pain medicine. I know that pain meds have that effect on me too after taking them for several days. I hope you fell better soon… and if the depression doesn’t go away talk to the doc about changing the pain meds.

Take care.
Holly says:
October 6, 2011 at 12:33 pm

Well I am a 27 yo female and I just had my tonsils out this morning. I am in a lot of pain as far as the throat goes and a little bit of an aching ear. I got some ear drops from the doc and just started using them. Hope they help. I am using the ice pack…don’t know how much it is helping… and I am trying to drink ice water…hard to do though.

I have had tonsilitis, strep throat, and pharangytis about every three weeks since April. I am a cancer survivor so…. my oncologist is concerned with a bad WBC. I am hoping it is all from this throat stuff and that by getting my tonsils removed the WBC will be better in a month.

Anyways… this is day one for me…. actually about hour 6 for me post op. I had a year of chemo and a bilateral masectomy for the breast cancer… so hopefully this won’t be half as bad as all that. I just worry about side effects and what could happen because I had a lot of side effects with all that other stuff.
sandra says:
October 6, 2011 at 10:05 am

When does the mouth dryness stop? Im on day ten left side day 5 right. My right ear and jaw are in pain. Started norco again. When does that white coat come off the tongue?
Amber says:
October 6, 2011 at 7:12 am

I am 33 year old female. I am day 7 post op. Liquid hydrocodone stopped working on day 5. Doc prescribed percocet and I got 20. I have one left and am asking for a refill tmrw. Excruciating pain every 4 hours. My meds wear off at exactly 3:40 every time. There’s no way I’m eating toast. I can only tolerate soy milk, pudding and ice cream. I have been adding whey protein to my pudding so I’m getting about 25grams per day of that which rly helps. Drinking water like crazy but it hurts too. My hubs has spent last two nights on the couch so I could have a still, silent bed. Have been icing my throat which helps. My neck, head, tongue and teeth and jaws are all knee dropping sore. I told my friend the other day that having a baby is more endurable than this. (ive had two. First one was ten lbs! Second was c-section and I went home with the flu throwing up and pelvic staples and a newborn ……) THAT WAS EASIER THAN THIS!
sandra says:
October 5, 2011 at 7:09 pm

Cant take one more day of this. Scab swallowing sucks. The scabs get stuck in your throat and you cant get them out. Im in huge pain where emergency surgery was done to cauterize. I tried to get off norco. Will take it tonight.
Julie says:
October 5, 2011 at 7:07 pm

Hi! Im reading some of these and some make me feel better and some more nervous. I am a 28yo female and having my tonsillectomy tomorrow! I have stocked up on ice cream, pudding, popcicles, and applesauce! I hope I recover well!!!
Jessica says:
October 5, 2011 at 10:38 am

My surgery was 9/22 and I had my tonsils taken out and sinus surgery. My pain has been minimal after the first week post-op. I developed a little bit of a sore throat yesterday, which I attributed to my scabs coming off. My scabs have been fairly light and I didn’t anticipate too much issue.

Imagine my surprise when I woke up from sleep at 2AM this morning, swallowing my own blood. I honestly figured that it must be coming from the back of my nose/sinuses. A trip to the bathroom and look in the back of my throat confirmed my fear; a tiny scab was coming off and my throat was bleeding. It wasn’t a huge amount, but enough that I was forced to either spit it out (yes) or swallow it (no) about every 15 seconds. I fought the panic that was rising and headed for the kitchen for a large glass of ice water ASAP. I probably gargled for 10-15 minutes before the bleeding stopped. I was also flipping through all my discharge instructions, looking for more info on when I should *really* consider going to the ER. I called the office and they paged the P.A.; she got back to me quickly and reassured me that this is very normal and that if the bleeding started again and did not stop after gargling for 30 minutes, I should probably go to the ER. Reassured and clot secure, I tried to go back to bed.

This morning, I was expecting a huge clot in the back of my throat and found: nothing. No sign of last night’s gusher. The only problem I’m having now is food and drink. Just the thought of what happened last night makes me not want to swallow anything, liquid or solid. Buttered toast and water it is.

if you do have any bleeding when scabs fall off, don’t panic! Ice water gargle is your friend and from what I can tell (and what the P.A. said), it will not set back your recovery. hang in there!
Kelly says:
October 5, 2011 at 3:49 am

Natalie, I suffered the same as you with being sick, I couldn’t keep anything down not even water until day 4, I feel for you because your going through enough.

Today im 3 weeks post opp, and feeling better by the day – i still have a slight sore throat but don’t need to take any medication for it, it’s a nice thought JUST having a sore throat and not that flu feeling that normally goes with it! Well here’s for a life without tonsillitis (fingers crossed). And a very big goodluck to all you who are suffering – the only thing I can say is now it’s over it seems like a life time ago I was in such pain, you will get through it… Day 7 for me was a turning point, so hang in on there.

Best wished to you all. x
Natalie says:
October 4, 2011 at 9:01 pm

Hi, I’m 18 had my tonsillectomy on 3/10 and have had terrible nausea. I was extremely ill last night, possibly from the panadine or maybe the anaesthetic leaving my body. I vomited a lot and the pain today is excruciating. I’m not taking my pain meds atm, just trying to bare through it. Anyone had any similar experiences. I’m only on day 3 and not looking forward to the rest of this recovery!
Angela says:
October 4, 2011 at 5:52 pm

Oops, I mean hours or minutes AFTER not BEFORE!
Angela says:
October 4, 2011 at 5:49 pm

Hi, I had my tonsillectomy last Friday (9/30), so if you count surgery day as day 1, then I’m on day 5. I’m very thankful that I’ve had a great recovery so far. No major pain other than a sore throat. Today I substituted a dose of the Hydrocodone for a dose of ibuprofen and am doing well. I’ve been eating since the very first day (applesauce, grits, milkshake). So my question has to do with the back of my throat, the area where the tonsils were. The white scabs of course are there, but it seems that all of the food I eat keeps getting stuck back there (so the area looks very yellow and cottage-cheesy and I can see what I eat hours or minutes before) and when I gargle, some of the food comes back out. But not all comes back out. So how do I get it out? Will it form into an infection? Thanks for your help. I’ve been reading this forum for a few days and have appreciated all the information.
Heather says:
October 4, 2011 at 5:25 pm

Sandra, I’m so sorry to hear that. I thought it was strange that you hadn’t post for awhile. I hope things get better for you real soon.
sandra says:
October 4, 2011 at 4:38 am

Surg 9/26. Sar 10/1 at 2 am? Emergency surgery to stop bleeding. All was well before then and did nothing to cause it. Dont want to go into details other than it was the scarriest moment of my life. Very depressed and regret doing the surgery.
George says:
October 3, 2011 at 3:19 pm

Hi, I had my tonsils removed on the 27/9, and can’t sleep at the moment due to nausea. Was improving fine up until yesterday evening (day 6), where I seemed to have a complete relapse and all the pain in my jaws and ears returned. I’ve spent most of today bringing up scabs and mucus – really not very pleasant! I did feel better this evening and managed to eat some chicken supreme and rice, but now my throat’s sore from coughing up the scabs ( I’ve only just found out that you should let them come off naturally). I hope I’m not too tired or in too much pain tomorrow as I’ve got a lot of coursework deadlines coming up!
Ryan says:
October 2, 2011 at 5:35 pm

I’m 4 days post op and today was the worst as far as just pain. I’m attempting Mac n cheese here in 5 min. But overall the pain isn’t too bad. 🙂 but then again I’m only 4 days out.
Heather says:
October 2, 2011 at 7:17 am

I hope you are feeling better today Sandra. The swelling has gone down a bit for me but I still feel like there are splits in my tongue. Nothing feels good except Popsicles again. Discouraging.
sandra says:
October 1, 2011 at 10:53 pm

Heather,,
yes, i am having similar issues. I ate very little today, mostlty liquids. My tongue isnt swollen but my doc gave me a steroid in my iv after surgery. Lots of nausea from constipation
Heather says:
October 1, 2011 at 7:27 pm

I figured out where most of my recent pain is coming from, my tongue. It is swollen and doesn’t seem to fit between my teeth. Also, I seem to have abrasions on it. Eating has become very difficult. Has anyone else had this problem? It really stinks!
LH says:
October 1, 2011 at 12:38 pm

I am now 10 days post op. (29/male) I am doing much better than I could have ever expected. By day 6 I was off my painkillers and eating solid food. Luckily my scabs are not falling off but slowly fading instead. Swallowing hurt a great deal for the first 3 days and I had trouble speaking. That is about the extend it it. Right now it feels like I have a very minor sore throat. The worst part of the whole experience was the week *before* my surgery. The anxiety and sleepless nights were almost unbearable, I was an emotional wreck 2 days before my operation. If only I could have known that everything would be just fine. Good luck everyone and remember to drink as much water as you can, no matter how much it hurts. You will be fine!
sandra says:
October 1, 2011 at 11:38 am

Surgery date 9/26. I slept in 2 four hour patches last night. Not a good idea at this time of recovery. Not enough hydration. Drinking a lot today. Actually stayed up between pain pills. Managed to hang out in the family room. BAD TASTE TODAY…YUCK. My aunt said she researched day six and a bad taste may be noticed aa well as a whitish membrane. I can honestly say that the paun 99% of the time is never over a 5. Im looking forward to saturday nite live tonight. Cant wait for Monday. Oh, and trying to brush my teeth sucks. Im an Rdh so this is a huge challenge.
NICHOLE says:
October 1, 2011 at 10:56 am

Thanks Sandra!! I actually am doing the same thing, resting(eventhough its only been a day this is killng me) but the excitement of going and dancing and playing with my girls 1 1/2 and almost 3 is what I’m clinging to. Also the idea of NOT catching a cold everytime I leave the house is exciting too 🙂 My husband/nurse is fading fast in his mommy duties lol. He’s doing very well but I have to admit hearing him say,”I don’t know how you do it.” Referring to midnight and 4am calls for Mommy, really pleases me. Heather hang in there, soon this will be a distant memory.
Heather says:
October 1, 2011 at 7:31 am

Hi Sandra. I am just anxious to feel better and I feel like it is getting worse. All of this came out of no where for me. A few months ago I started getting a sore throat and nothing got rid of it. My tonsils were large and did not look the same in CT scan so doc recommended getting rid of them. So here I am. I was a trooper the first four days but my strength is waning. Glad to hear your positive perspective.
sandra says:
October 1, 2011 at 1:08 am

Heather, dont feel discouraged. I had my surg the same day you did. It sounds like the back andforth pain is part of healing. I open my window and stand there for fresh air. That feels good. Sounds silly but focus on something else. I have two boys, 2 & 6. I lay upstairs listening to my 2 yr old laugh. I also feel better lnowing my days of strep and being run down are over.
Heather says:
October 1, 2011 at 12:14 am

Night 5 for me.

Feeling fairly discouraged. I am tired of feeling bad and sore from laying around so much. Please tell me I will feel a little better soon. I am 42 years old and am feeling all of it right now. Today, I have felt like my throat has open wounds again. The meds are burning going down. Both cold and warm liquid and food have been painful.
sandra says:
September 30, 2011 at 8:09 pm

Im actually only 4 1/2 days out. The narcotics have me in disarray 🙂
sandra says:
September 30, 2011 at 7:55 pm

Nichole, congrats on dumping those two for good 🙂 . Sleep somewhat upright, use a humidifier, and wear aa mask. I still get up every hour to drink. I am on hysrocodone pills so i have to eat too. One good thing i do is i eat a popsicle at night before i take my pill. I have only has a few instances of severe pain but it wasnt for a few days. I am about 5 1/2 days post op. Happy healing.
NICHOLE says:
September 30, 2011 at 6:20 pm

I’m 29 years old and have been putting the surgery off for about 10 years! :-/ I just had it done this morning, massively consming water, pain meds every 4 hours, popsicles, little apple sauce and trying to maintain a healthy probiotic regimine. Its weird because it feels like a bad case of strep throat….so far. But I do feel instant relief with my breathing. I’m a little concerned about going to sleep tonight, any helpful hints?
Michael says:
September 30, 2011 at 9:53 am

Sandra, sounds like you are doing OK. I know it is cliche but you really got to take it day by day. I had a day or two like you said got woken up by severe throat pain that went to my ears and jaw. Just sleep when you can and take your pain meds every 4 hours.

I am on day 15 and I am almost back to normal. I don’t think I could eat a sandwich or chips or crackers but maybe in 5 or 6 days I could.
sandra says:
September 30, 2011 at 2:41 am

So about ten pm i started to get throat pain, the kind that makes you sit up and take notice. I had a pretty managable , good day until then. Spacing pain pills closer and sleeping sitting up. I didmanage to spill a cup of crrushed ice and dropped my popsicle. Oh well, no love loss there between me and a lime popsicle. I have learned that some people (my husband) cant cook noodles right but he can make a mean egg. I also have learned that some of the popsicle jokes are funny. Thus far, this has been one heck of a jpurney. Sorry to ramble om, but its 3 am and no one wants to stay awake with me.
sandra says:
September 29, 2011 at 3:02 pm

My uvula was really swollen for 2 days and ate a popsicle to keep the swelling down.. I sleep on my left side and it seems fine. I agree with you about tooth pain.
Ryan says:
September 29, 2011 at 2:43 pm

Sandra- thanks for the words of wisdom. The only other thing worst than throat pain, is tooth pain, and for me after that….ear pain lol. But I’ll keep it up and post my walk along this. My hangy thing is swollen really big and I’m gonna try and sleep sitting up 🙂 hope that works.
sandra says:
September 29, 2011 at 1:40 pm

Hi Ryan, rest and drink plenty. Yes, i wake up with slight ear paun. Dont worry about whats ahead. Manage day by day with your meds and youll be ok. Its all part of healing. Im really doing nothing other than resting and watching tv. So far, knock on wood, this has all been managable. The worse part for me has been the low grade nausea that is making me uncomfortable. Just stay positive and reat.
Ryan says:
September 29, 2011 at 1:33 pm

Post op eight hours……everything feels fine but I’m scared for the horrible days ahead. Sandra you developed ear pain at 3rd day? That makes me nervous. Great. 🙁
Joanna says:
September 29, 2011 at 11:22 am

Hi,I am 37 and facing a tonsilectomy on Oct. 21st.I have had problems with my tonsils for years,and now have sleep apnea too,so I think getting my tonsils out will be worth it in the long run,but reading these posts are really getting me worried about the pain and recovery.
Michael says:
September 29, 2011 at 11:16 am

Oh my breakthrough drink was sweet tea. Honestly I am not a fan of sweet tea I like just regular iced tea but that for some reason was as hard as water to drink. As soon as I discovered sweet tea I was drinking like 3 large cups from McDonalds or Chick-fil-a per day. I think the sugar has a soothing aspect to it. Oh and as someone else mentioned mixing the liquid hydrocodone in a little of the tea kills the flavor and the burning feeling going down.
sandra says:
September 29, 2011 at 9:55 am

Day 3 post op (72 hours) . Drooling when i sleep that causes me to choke and cough. I dont know why im not swallowing when i sleep. Ear pain now and sometimes cold doesnt feel good. Im still hanging out in bed and pretty much in a daze after my meds. Im taking one hysrocodone pill every 3 hours. I eat before my meds and it sometimes makes me late to take my meds. That causes more pain. I am drinking trying to eat eggs, pasta, and soup. Sick of popsicles and sweets. Looking forward to another day gone!!
Ryan says:
September 29, 2011 at 1:52 am

Well I go in four hours to get my tonsils and adnoids taken out. I honestly am more nervous now that I have Read the results here, but am grateful. I will be looking forward to posting what I’m going thru and getting any kind of advice I can. Thanks in advance people for your great information, as well as help I’m gonna need. Wish me luck! 🙂
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sandra says:
September 28, 2011 at 3:53 pm

Samantha,
The face masks that dentists wear.
Walgreens or any pharmact will have them. I am sipping flat gingerale. Also try some jello and stay hydrated and it will beless painful. Ask for some nausea meds but try to eat. I will be on a soft diet for 2 weeks. Youre 21, you shouldfeel better in a week. Im a little older so itmay talke some extra time. Im at about 54 hours post op and really trying hard to eat an hour before meds. Glad to know i have someone to heal with. Also try deep breaths and smelling peppermint oil for nausea.
Samantha says:
September 28, 2011 at 2:38 pm

Hi Sandra, thanks for the suggestion. Can you tell me what kind of face mask you are referring to? Also, i am experiencing some low grade nausea for sure. I am on liquid vicodin and supposed to take a tablespoon full every 4 hours, no anti nausea meds were given to me either. If i was able to eat more i believe it would help me but swallowing is nearly impossible for me.

Caitlyn- i have read a lot of people recommending toast…i just can’t imagine how you do it! I can’t even swallow my own saliva without 3 really forceful and painful pushes…what is the secret to toast?

I am about 29 hours post op and 21 years old.
Caitlyn says:
September 28, 2011 at 11:28 am

Oh and make sure to wrap ice around your throat for 10 minutes when it’s really painful. I did this almost every day and it helped so much with the swelling!
Caitlyn says:
September 28, 2011 at 11:26 am

Hi everyone. I am at the end of day 7 post-op and am doing amazingly well. I thought I would share my tips to help some of you out! It really is important to drink, drink, drink! Everytime I woke up from my sleep I would be in such enormous pain because my throat had dried out. Everytime I wake up during the night I take a sip of water which I found has helped. Twice a day I have done a saltwater gargle with a teaspoon of salt in 500ml of water for 30 seconds. This apparently removes the bacteria and the salt is good for healing. The day after my surgery I had a tiny little bit of toast. I chewed it up as small as I could so it was still fairly soft but even the little bit of roughness seemed to help. Every opportunity I have had where I can eat without it being ridiculously painful I have made toast. Even if I’ve eaten 1/4 of a slice, I have tried to eat it. My throat is looking so much better and my scabs are very undefined. What I believe and from what I’ve been told is that the toast scrapes away bacteria and stops hard, thick scabs from forming. Have you ever continued to pick away at a scab on your body and noticed that it doesn’t scab into a hard, thick scab that it would if you didn’t touch it? Instead it is softer and ends up scarring. Well I figure that the same thing is happening inside your throat. The wet skin is scraped away and these hard scabs do not form so this obviously makes recovery less painful as there are no thick, hard scabs that need to fall off. I have also chewed sugarfree gum every opportunity I’ve had. This increases saliva flow inside your mouth keeping it moist, stretches your throat and jaw and keeps your breath nice and minty 🙂 I have also made sure to set alarms for my antibiotics and pain killers to avoid sleeping through and waking up in tremendous pain. Anyway I hope these tips help for you! Don’t be scared that the toast will hurt you or make you bleed I really truly do believe this has helped me so much!!!! Good luck everyone and don’t worry it will be over soon 🙂
Michael says:
September 28, 2011 at 9:43 am

I am on Day 13 and swallowing is still difficult and I am still eating only soft foods. I still take my pain medication to eat and use a cepacol lozenge to numb. I see my doctor today for second follow up to see where I am at.

I had very slight nausea not anything to worry over at all. They did give me medicine for it (suppositories) but I never had to use them.

Oh yeah the constipation is bad and I just took some stool softener every other day before bed and about 5 hours later it moved everything out of me.

It really is a “dance” trying to eat and stay hydrated and make sure you are not running a temp. But I am 37 and even after 13 days I feel way better. Throat does not hurt unless swallowing and I can even take big drinks now out of a cup and swallow with only slight discomfort.
sandra says:
September 28, 2011 at 9:24 am

Anyone experience low grade nausea?? Im still taking anti nausea meds and its been 48 hours.
!
sandra says:
September 28, 2011 at 1:05 am

Samantha, my face masks help a ton. I also ice my neck and eat a popsicle with each pill i take . When i sleep its never longer than 90 min. I get up to drink. Im 34 and almost 48 hours post op. I take my pill every 3 hours. Im counting tbe days as well.
Samantha says:
September 27, 2011 at 10:53 pm

Hi guys, i had my surgery this morning (sept 23rd) and while the surgery went well the pain was immediate. I can’t open my jaw enough to see back there but i feel like my throat is really swollen and its extremely difficult to swallow. My tongue is swollen and the left side of my jaw/ear is extremely tender. The majority of people experience the first few days as much less painful than days 3-8…if that’s true then i am scared for what is coming! I am trying to keep a really positive attitude but i am a numbers girl, and after averaging your posts it seems like i am in the high pain group…any suggestions besides hydration and a humidifier?
James says:
September 27, 2011 at 9:27 pm

Riane, I can tell you that thus far, I have not had a sore throat since it was done (knock on wood). Despite sitting here tonight with what I know for a fact is a stone in the little left over glob of tissue I have, no sore throats or sick time. It baffles me as to how anyone can have that surgery done and still come out with tonsils? I don’t really grasp it. A doctor I saw for a third opinion told me that I could still run the possibility of getting strep, but he also added that anyone who has had a tonsillectomy can still get strep. Isn’t that a super fact to know?
Emily says:
September 27, 2011 at 4:25 pm

Andrea- I was yawning a TON after my surgery. I believe it’s a side effect of the pain killers and it will decrease as your body adjusts to the medication.

As for food, I was not able to get down mashed potatoes, but for some reasons risotto went down just fine. The mashed potatoes hurt because they got stuck in my throat. Also, I know that soup broth is probably getting really boring, but a cream of mushroom or chicken soup (try Campbell’s) is good because it’s more filling that a clear broth.

Jessia- I wouldn’t push it on the solid foods. I tried pizza crust too soon and it stratched the scabs on my tonsills really badly and was extremely painful. Salad also really bothered me for some reason.

To all- this is sort of uncomfortable to talk about, but I became extremely constipated from the comination of pain killers and not being able to eat fruits or vegetables. I would ask the doctor to suggest a gentle laxative. I took two that I bought at Walgreen’s and was sick in the bathroom for 12 hours.

I wish everyone a speedy recovery… I know how frustrating recovery can be, but you will be happy you went through the surgery 🙂
Andrea says:
September 27, 2011 at 4:15 pm

HI,

I had my tonsils out on Sept 16 and have been on a roller coaster ever since. I started throwing up blood the night after my surgery and was told to go to the ER. I was kept overnight for observation. By the next night, my oxygen levels were dropping and I was moved to ICU. I was in ICU for a few days and they diagnosed that I had sepsis from the strep virus. I spent 6 days total in the hospital. I suppose I’m a little lucky that I was able to spend those first days after surgery in the hospital with plenty of pain meds. I’m now trying to get my strength back.

It is becoming easier to eat but is still a challenge. I’m still sticking to soft or liquid foods and I don’t have a lot of appetite but I need to start eating more. Any ideas of next step meals? I can eat soup and jello but mashed potatos still hurt. I also find myself with the urge to yawn a lot which always makes me concerned I’m going to hurt something. I hope by end of week I’m feeling more like myself.

I’m 35 and had my tonsils out after having several bouts of strep within a short few months and enlarged tonsils.
sandra says:
September 27, 2011 at 4:16 am

24 hours post op. Any tricks for a swollen uvula. Seems like ice helps and popsicles. But difficullt to sleep.sleep.
Jessica says:
September 26, 2011 at 8:59 pm

I am on day 4 post tonsillectomy and sinus surgery (turbinoplasty, septoplasty, antrostomy, the works), 31 years old. I am still glad that I got both surgeries done at once, since I’ll only have 1 recovery, but WOW. If one thing doesn’t hurt, something else does. I now know why my surgeon works with Ears, Nose and Throat… they are definitely all connected!

The worst part is definitely the nights; I have the humidifier less than 2 feet away from me, but still wake up with my mouth drier than the sahara desert. I never would’ve guessed it could get that dry. I did finally start setting an alarm for every 4 hours so I can rinse my sinuses/gargle/drink water/drug myself.

I have a feeling that I’m over-doing it on the semi-solid food. Nothing with any sharp edges, but I’ve been forcing down canned soup and beans. Has anyone done this in the past and have any words of advice? I’m trying to eat balanced “meals” since I’m hoping to complete a marathon in about a month.

Also, I honestly don’t know when I should start stepping down my pain med doses. Should I start doing lower doses every 4 hours, or the max dose every 5 hours instead??

Thanks for everyone’s support and advice on this site. 🙂
Emily says:
September 26, 2011 at 4:51 pm

I had my tonsils removed in late March of 2011 and am finally getting around to writing about my experience. Although I could go into a lot of detail, there are a few things that I want to share that helped me tremendously, and I hope they can help you too!

1. I believe the doctor recommends taking the liquid pain killers every 4-6 hours. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND taking them every 4 hours. If I was 15 minutes late taking the pain medicine, I was in severe pain for about an hour aftewards. I even set an alarm to wake myself up in the middle of the night to remind me to take my medication. Stay on a schedule, it makes recovery a lot more manageable!

2. The liquid pain medication made my throat burn and I had a very hard time swallowing it. I found that if you dilute the pain medicine with some unsweeted, room temperature iced tea, it makes swallowing the medication far more bearable.

3. Foods/drinks that I was able to tolerate: room temperature tea and room temperature chicken broth. I was able to add more solid food (i.e. apple sauce and mac and cheese) about a week after the surgery. I was not able to eat hard foods (i.e. crust and salad) until about 4 weeks after the surgery.

4. The doctors will tell you it’s a 1-2 week recovery, but I’m going to be realistic. I spent about 2 weeks in bed, another week in and out of bed, and didn’t feel completely 100% until about a month or so after the surgery.

5. It is totally worth it. I still get sore throats occasionally, but they are far milder and don’t turn into a sinus infection or bronchitis like they used to.

Hope this help, and good luck recovering! Take the time to relax, read some good books, and become a Netflix addict!
LH says:
September 26, 2011 at 11:06 am

I had my tonsillectomy on the 21st. So I am now 5 days post op and doing fairly well. I was almost convinced that I was going to cancel the surgery when I woke up Wednesday morning. I decided to go to the hospital with my Mom anyway. Once I got there and was admitted I figured I might as well go through with it. The nurse gave me something to help calm me down (I believe it was an ativan) Five minutes after taking the pill I was completely fine about everything. I remember laying on the operating table with the doctors asking me a few questions. They put the mask over my face and within a few minutes I was asleep. I don’t even remember getting tired or feeling my eyes close. I woke up a short time later in very little pain. After a couple hours and a shot of morphine they released me. I can honestly say that it has not been as bad as I thought it would be. The only time I feel any real pain is during the night when the medication wears off and when I have to swallow anything. My doctor gave me Tramacet for pain which works wonders and doesn’t give me nausea. I have lost 7 pounds so far and can’t wait to finally eat solid food again.
sandra says:
September 25, 2011 at 8:54 pm

Enjoying my huge sundae before my midnight cut off. My surgery is at 830 tomorrow. Dont know if ill sleep tonight. I just keeep thinking about my boys. Cant wait to be two weeks out of this.
riane says:
September 25, 2011 at 8:34 pm

James – lovely… Ah well my tonsils were super cryptic i wouldn’t be surprised. The stones didn’t bother me too much but hopefully I don’t get strep or tonsillitis still. There’s a small percent of post ops that do! I’d be pissed! I just want to have energy and my neck not to be stiff an swollen every month.
annique says:
September 25, 2011 at 7:49 pm

I am 24 years old, had reoccurant tonsilitis for over a year and a half before they decided to take my tonsils out, I am on day 6 of my recovery and in the worst pain ever. I thought I was on the mend, only having pain on the one side but then I started to cough, and it kept me up all of last night and all of that white membrane over teh surgery site is starting to come off as well as some of the scabs… is that normal? I am very scared that with my coughing it’s going to cause issues that will result in another surgery. Also when should I start eating solid foods, to me I am not quite ready as I am still in a lot of pain, but everyone I talk to says they muscled through it and ate so they could recover quicker…. any suggestions there?
Jenny says:
September 25, 2011 at 10:58 am

I had my tonsils and uvula out last Wednesday (Sept 21) and am 27 years old, it really hasnt been that bad besides the swallowing. Wish I didnt have to! And I’m starving for real food, applesauce, mashed potatoes, and pudding get old fast! I’ve been drinking water like crazy and my liquid Hydrocodone is my friend- feels like I’ve been in a hydro fog for a week! I’ve been up and moving around today- actually may get out of the house, I havent seen the human race for quite some time. Oh and my tounge is still swollen.

I freaked myself out with this surgery and put it off for 3 months
James says:
September 25, 2011 at 8:40 am

Riane…mine looked lumpy too. Then two months later it opened up crypts and stones again. Lovely.
Vincent says:
September 25, 2011 at 6:44 am

Day 13
(Sorry I skipped day 12, was out of the house!)
I am feeling so much better. I was able to go out to dinner with friends. Still have slight earaches but they are getting better every day!

My friends say my voice is much clearer, and I can sleep now on my side. Breathing is much better.

I will be going back tomorrow. (a few days early). Thank you all for your support and thanks for this site. I wouldn’t have been able to get through it without you!

People, you will get through it. It does get better! 🙂

Sincerely,
Vince
riane says:
September 25, 2011 at 1:46 am

Day 16

I can pretty much eat whatever I want. Talking is ok but some words come out strained n funny. Mornings still Hurt but not for as long as before. I don’t have alot of energy at all but I feel back to normal for the most part. Very dull pain when swallowing is my only residual pain n most of the scans gone. The pink flesh is not smooth tho and seems kind if lumpy or chopped up especially behind the tongue. Not sure if that’s ok or not yet. I made it tho!:) so will u !
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Michael says:
September 24, 2011 at 3:37 pm

I’m on Day 9 and I also has my deviated septum and soft pallet worked on at the same time. Everything has been going well so far the last couple days however the “referred pain” has started. It makes eating and drinking more difficult so I just eat every time I take pain meds.

I am surprised anyone is able to take the liquiid Tylenol. My doctor told me under no circumstances am I to take any aspirin, tylenol or ibruprofen because if I were to start bleeding it would take longer to stop. Also be harder for him to stop if I had to go to hospital.

Really right now I am just hungry and just can’t wait to be at normal speed.

Oh I am 37 and have lost 15 pounds.
sandra says:
September 24, 2011 at 12:54 pm

My surgery is Monday. Still worried. Its that quiet before the storm.
sandra says:
September 23, 2011 at 7:04 pm

Keith, there is a gel called arnicare. Natural pain and swelling relief. Try it on your neck. Supposed to be good for tonsillectomy. Try walgreens or health food. It sounds muscular. I have tmj and get nasty jaw pain wher muscles attach.
Keith says:
September 23, 2011 at 6:43 pm

Day 8. 33 yrs old. Thanks for the info on the swollen tongue and the marks on it from my teeth. That makes total sense!! My throat feels much better, but the difficulty in eating seems to be coming from the underside of my tongue and my jaw. I will continue to take it easy in hopes that everything will continue to heal up. Im down 12 pounds. Its going to be hard not to put all of the weight back on. Im starving!! lol.
Vincent says:
September 23, 2011 at 5:34 am

Day 11,
Feeling much better now, thanks. Still a little pain in the ears, but bearable. Seriously , If you can get a hold of Tylenol Liquid Rapid Blast in your neck of the woods, get it. goes down easily. And eating much more now, try to gain back a few of the 20 lbs. I lost, course some things still taste funny / odd. And I can start to sing again. (actually better than before). Hopefully My tongue swelling will go down. Again, thanks to all of you for your support and this site. if anything, the daily post gave me the power to get through it! 🙂
Kelly says:
September 23, 2011 at 4:14 am

Day 9 – hallelujah… feeling so much better in myself. My throat still feels sore and im still on my meds., but I find im not willing for the 4th hour to come to pop more in. It’s also a little easier to talk today (something I have not done for the past 8 day’s and believe me it’s been hard having 2 son’s 5 & 2yrs) I went to the doctors yesterday to make sure thing’s where as they should and all is well.

Anyway, here is to a day of cleaning and being slightly normal – hang in there guys… you will be feeling better soon.

Kelly – age 35
riane says:
September 23, 2011 at 1:19 am

Patty nope I had tonsils n adenoids basically burned n scraped out for chronic strep and tonsillitis. Stones now n then but mostly when I was sick. They weren’t troublesome
Lee says:
September 22, 2011 at 9:47 pm

When I was 19 I had the CO2 laser done on my tonsils twice. It did cut down on frequency of tonsillitis but didn’t eliminate it and left enough tissue to grow back and become cryptic resulting in stones. Thats why I had them out once and for all last month. The good thing about the laser was it was just a local anesthetic and relatively pain free procedure.
James says:
September 22, 2011 at 5:49 pm

Riane…fully healed already. Close to a year since surgery.

Patty… I ended up with a very PITA like technique where mine got burned away. That didn’t work. Get them taken out totally or don’t waste your time. I had my surgery for stones and still have them in one side. Go figure.
Vincent says:
September 22, 2011 at 6:26 am

Day 10,
I actually slept some last night. (about 5 hours). Got the cleaning bug this morning, so started cleaning the house, as it has been in disarray. I woke up and my throat was sore, and my neck felt thick. not sure what that is about. And things still taste wierd, but easier to eat. Had a nice bowl of ramen last night (yummy yummy noodles) Also a big fan of Sonic slushies. Gonna try and get more rest, have to go to the store today. liquid Tylenol (rapid blast) is great stuff, works quick. Hang in there my friends, we are in it together. The pain will pass!
Patty Chavez says:
September 22, 2011 at 3:45 am

to Raine: did you have the PIt procedure done for stones?
Patty Chavez says:
September 22, 2011 at 3:37 am

anyone had their tonsills taken out or heard of the powered intracapsular tonsillectomy and adnoids. what ml of hydrocodon did you get jordon?
riane says:
September 22, 2011 at 12:28 am

Kelly yes normal. Or at least common from all the blogs I’ve been reading.

James I am so sorry! Is there any chance they will stop once ur fully healed? Also I was reading about a procedure even before the tonsillectomy where they pretty much burn the crevices and crypts and smooth out the tonsils enough so stones do not form. Is this an option. Was the only reason you had surgery purely for stones?
Jess says:
September 21, 2011 at 9:44 pm

Amy,

I am also 30 yrs. old. I had my tonsils out on sept. 1, and sounds like your recovery is very similar to mine. It got real bad for me around day 4. It didn’t ease up until around day 12. Everything hurt to eat, and I empathize with the “knives in the throat” pain. 21 days in now and I can hardly remember that pain. My throat is still sore…especially when I yawn, but I can eat anything I want now. Hang in there. Eat what you can, but keep up with your meds. Ice chips were all I ate for nearly 3 days, but you need to, at least, get some kind of fluids down.

Chicken noodle soup, for some reason, never hurt much. I couldn’t eat sorbert or ice cream at all. 🙁

But, you will feel better. It just takes time.
James says:
September 21, 2011 at 6:25 pm

Not to dishearten anyone, but I had tonsils out due to stones. Guess what? I still have them.

They form in residual tissue. What’s worse? They told me this is normal and they often see it
happen. I was told to press it out with a Qtip. Seriously?! What point was the surgery?
sandra says:
September 21, 2011 at 2:48 pm

Are the face masks to keep moisture in???
Kelly says:
September 21, 2011 at 11:55 am

Hi guys, im on day 7 post op – does anyone else have a vile smell coming from their mouth, just wondering if it’s normal or if I have an infection?
Vincent says:
September 21, 2011 at 10:21 am

Day 9,
So it seems in addition to the surgurey, the cold i had decided to hang around. Last night started coughing up blood… so off to the hospital i went. seems the phlegm is irritating my UPPP. Doctors took care of me though. (course they weren’t happy I lost 20 lbs in a week.) a little musinex D, and had dried me right up. They checked everything and I was looking pretty good. They did use a little silver nitrate on part of my soft palette (which SUCKS by the way), but all in on, on the downward slope! I feel so much better now 🙂 Guys and Gals hang in there. Take your medication on time and drink. It does get easier!
Arlene says:
September 21, 2011 at 9:13 am

day 3! So thankful to Greg and you all for preparing me for my Sept 18th surgery. The humidifier and face mask have worked well. I sleep in naps but they are now longer. Pain there but medication helps and I am journaling, so I remember my doses, ice packs work, too, I was ready for surgery after reading all I could on line. Knowledge decreases fear, I believe. I await scabs, but wish me luck. Will get back as I progress. I am a 66 year old sweet grammy. XOX
sandra says:
September 21, 2011 at 8:14 am

Keith, the ridges on the end of the tongue are an imprint of your teeth. Its called scalloped tongue. Prob from your tongue being swollen
riane says:
September 20, 2011 at 10:25 pm

Day 12 post op- best day by far! Took 4 ibruprofen before work and pretty much made it through the whole day. Woke up very sore in my neck throat n scabs annoyed me. After immediately sucking on a throat drop and gargling and hacking up scab n mucous and a hot showe I felt fine. Dull pain with every swallow but it’s just like what my tonsils used to do almost daily anyway. Took a tylenol3 to get ready for bed and that’s the extent of my meds all day. Less than 2 weeks and I can feel almost normal again. Ate with no issue today even had pretzels. How long do scabs take to fully disappear?
riane says:
September 20, 2011 at 10:14 pm

Keith my tongue has that naturally as it’s kinda large as well as I have a geographic tongue. My guess is that your tongue was slightly swollen and the ridges are from your teeth as mine are?
sandra says:
September 20, 2011 at 8:50 pm

Best wishes LH. Make sure you have a humidifier as hotel rooms are dry. You will be fine with general. Ive been put under ? Four times and im 34. Best sleep ever.
LH says:
September 20, 2011 at 5:20 pm

Sandra, I know exactly how you feel. I’m going in tomorrow and every time I think about the operation a chill comes over my whole body. I didn’t sleep much last night and doubt I will sleep tonight at all. I can’t wait until this is over.
sandra says:
September 20, 2011 at 5:08 pm

My surgery is Monday. Ive spent a month worrying and not sleeping. Im ready for the monkey to be off my back. My boss a DDS/ virologist said pain is your friend that means youre healing. I will try to remember that!
Keith says:
September 20, 2011 at 5:06 pm

Hey couple of questions for the forum, has anyone elses tongue turned white? Also, I have little ridges that have formed (like peakes) along the outside edge of my tongue. Two things the doctor didnt warn me about. Anyone else have these?
Amy says:
September 20, 2011 at 12:12 pm

It’s been one full week as of today that I had my tonsils removed. I saw the ENT yesterday and he said I was healing very slowly. The scabs still have not come off and every day seems to hurt more than the previous day. This morning has been almost completely unbearable. I don’t understand how some of you say you eat toast. How do you choke that down? Everything hurts! Warm, cold, it doesn’t matter it feels like swallowing knives. I wish I had never done this!!!! I would gladly deal with the tonsilitis and sore throats—at least the pain from those ends at some point. This just keeps going and going and getting worse and worse!!!! By the way, I am 30 yrs old.
Vincent says:
September 20, 2011 at 11:02 am

Day 8,
Ok I am feeling much better. Last night was rough. I had taken my pain meds around 11:30 PM , and around 12:15 my earache was unbearable. I had a problem eating yesterday. I just wanted to eat a popsicle. I got down on my knees and prayed to God to let the pain go away so i could eat. A few minutes later, the pain in my ears subsided (Thanks God!). I ate 2 popsicles.
This morning I went to SONIC and bought 2 egg cressants. The have nice fluffy eggs, and I was able to eat them today 🙂 I still have scabs on my soft pallette which I am having a time to get rid of. But things are getting easier day by day.
For those of you just coming into post op, hang in there, it gets better. I have read almost every post, and everyone says the same thing (Thanks guys, really got me through it). Even though day 5-7 suck, it passes. (And I also had a my Uvula removed and part of my soft pallete trimmed). You will live. Hang in there!
Courtney C says:
September 20, 2011 at 10:09 am

Jake – I’m getting mine out on Halloween, I was hoping to find someone getting theirs out around the same time. Good luck with yours and hope you come back to check in.